An Energy analyst, Kojo Poku, has advised fuel consumers to buy fuel from cheap filling stations.

This follows the recent hike in fuel prices. In less than two weeks, the prices of diesel and petrol have increased by over 30 per cent and are selling at ¢8.29 at the pumps.

Only a week after the fuel adjustment, petroleum industry experts predict that the commodity will reach GHC 9 by the end of March.

Speaking on JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, Mr Poku said fuel is a deregulated market “so we should always try and look out for the cheapest filling station to buy from.”

He added that “the oil market will not correct itself because deregulation is not working well enough for the market to correct itself.“

He said although people are complaining of the adjustment in fuel prices thus ¢8.29, “there are some filling stations that will sell a little bit below ¢8.29 so anytime you take the TOTAL price there are some indigenous filling stations or OMCs that would sell 30p to 40p cheaper than TOTAL.”

“Most people will say that government should reduce taxes and then the 30p, 40p that government will take out of the taxes, you are already having that at the pump so you have to look around and shop,” he said.

He also stated that the high fuel prices in the international market are a result of the Russia and Ukraine crises, but that is not a long-term measure and that prices are expected to normalise soon.

Meanwhile, the Minority in Parliament has served notice it will haul the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, before the House to present government’s response or plan to end the hikes in fuel prices.

According to the Minority, the Finance Ministry has the authority to remove some taxes that contribute to the final ex-pump fuel prices.

In the same development, Member of Parliament’s Energy Committee, Edward Bawa, has blamed the government for not doing enough to cushion Ghanaians against the hardship caused by the rise in fuel prices.

“I will file an urgent question to the Minister of Finance. The reason is that if you look at the three factors that affect the ex-pump price, two of them are within the domain of the Minister of Finance. That is the issue of taxes and the issue of managing the cedi.”

“He will be in the position to be able to tell Ghanaians what the position of the government is with regards to the [fuel prices]. I think there are certain taxes that if you take them off, it will not affect the services for which they are supposed to finance,” he stated.